Mario C. De Tullio
Contacts:
Università degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”,
Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Vegetale,
Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italia
Tel. +39 080 5442157 [email protected]
Research
Biochemistry and functions of Ascorbic Acid (AA) – Redox
regulation This topic has been my main area of research since
over 20 years, starting with my MSc and PhD studies, both
supervised by Prof. Oreste Arrigoni. Most interesting results
obtained in these years deal with the role of the AA system in
the growth and development of different organisms (algae,
mosses, and higher plants). These aspects are not directly
related to the popular antioxidant role of AA.
Science Communication; Science and Literature;
Bridging the “two cultures” In the last few decades, the lack
of adequate communication on the newest achievements in
(plant) biology raised a barrier between science and the general
public. This made the already existing separation between
science and other aspects of human knowledge (“The two
cultures”) even worse. I’m trying to find different ways to tackle this problem, mainly by promoting
contacts with school teachers and students, proposing new approaches to teaching. I also have an
interest in those Italian novelists (such as Italo Calvino and Primo Levi) who also wrote about science.
Short CV (1991) MSc in Biology. (1995) PhD in Plant Physiology. (1995) National Research Council of
Italy - Institute for Agroforestry, Porano, Italy. Supervisor: Dr. Enrico Brugnoli. (1997-1999) Post-doctoral
fellowship, Institute of Botany, University of Bari, Italy. Supervisor: Prof. Oreste Arrigoni. (1998) FEBS
short-term fellowship, Dept of Biochemistry, University of Kassel, Germany. Supervisors: Prof. Hartmut
Follmann, Dr. Ingo Häberlein. (1999) Post-doc, Dept. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Vrije
Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Supervisor: Prof. Pim Mager. (2000) Royal Society-Accademia
dei Lincei post-doc fellowship, Dept. Plant Biochemistry, University of London, Royal Holloway College,
Egham, UK. Supervisor: Prof. Paul Bolwell. (2001-present) Permanent staff member, Faculty of Sciences,
University of Bari, Italy. (March-October 2007) Fulbright Visiting Scholar in Lewis Feldman’s lab,
University of California, Berkeley. Manuscript reviewer for several journals, member of the Advisory Board
of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
Teaching Classes in Plant Biology, Plant Morphology and Physiology, Plant Biotechnology, Biology of
Algae, Plant Developmental Biology, Techniques in Plant Biology, Science Teaching.
Selected publications
✔De Tullio MC 2010 Antioxidants and redox regulation: changing notions in a changing world. Plant Physiol Biochem
in press doi 10.1016/j.plaphy.2010.02.011
✔De Tullio MC, Jiang K, Feldman LJ 2010 Redox regulation of root apical meristem organization: connecting root
development to its environment. Plant Physiol Biochem in press doi 10.1016/j.plaphy.2009.11.005
✔Caputo E, Ceglie V, Lippolis M, La Rocca N, De Tullio MC 2010 Identification of a NaCl-induced ascorbate oxidase
activity from Chaetomorpha linum suggests a novel mechanism of adaptation to increased salinity. Environ Exp Bot
in press. doi :10.1016/j.envexpbot.2010.02.008
✔Fotopoulos V, De Tullio MC, Barnes J, Kanellis AK 2008 Altered stomatal dynamics in
ascorbate oxidase over-expressing tobacco plants suggest a role for dehydroascorbate
signalling. J Exp Bot 59:729-737
✔De Tullio MC, Ciraci S, Liso R, Arrigoni O 2007 Ascorbic acid oxidase is dynamically
regulated by light and oxygen. A tool for oxygen management in plants? J Plant
Physiol.164: 39-46.
✔Grano A, De Tullio MC 2007 Ascorbic acid as a sensor of oxidative stress and a
regulator of gene expression: The Yin and Yang of vitamin C. Med Hypoth 69: 953-954
✔Attolico AD, De Tullio MC 2007 Contrasting effects of increased ascorbate content on
growth and development of long-day and short-day grown Brassica rapa. Caryologia
60: 185-187
✔Attolico AD, De Tullio MC 2006 Increased ascorbate content delays flowering in longday grown Arabidopsis thaliana (Heyn.). Plant Physiol Biochem 44: 462-466
✔Barth C, De Tullio MC, Conklin P 2006 The role of ascorbic acid in the control of flowering time and the onset of
senescence, J Exp Bot 57: 1657-1665
✔Liso R, De Tullio MC, Ciraci S, Balestrini R, La Rocca N, Bruno L, Chiappetta A, Bitonti MB, Bonfante P, Arrigoni
O 2004 Localization of ascorbic acid, ascorbic acid oxidase and glutathione in roots of Cucurbita maxima L. J Exp
Bot 55: 2589-2597
✔De Tullio MC, Liso R, Arrigoni O 2004 Ascorbic acid oxidase: an enzyme in search of a role. Biol Plant 48:161-166
✔De Tullio MC, Arrigoni O 2004 Hopes, disillusions and more hopes from vitamin C. Cell Mol Life Sci 60: 109-119
✔De Tullio MC 2004 How does ascorbic acid prevent scurvy? A survey of the non-antioxidant functions of vitamin C. In
Vitamin C, its functions and biochemistry in animals and plants, pp. 159-172, Smirnoff N., May J. and Asard H. (eds.),
Bios Scientific Publishers, Oxford, U.K.
✔De Tullio MC, Arrigoni O 2003 The ascorbic acid system in seeds: to protect and to serve. Seed Sci Res 13:249-60
✔Arrigoni O, De Tullio MC 2002 Ascorbic acid: much more than just an antioxidant. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1569:1-9
✔Paciolla C, De Tullio MC, Chiappetta A, Bitonti MB, Innocenti AM, Liso R, Arrigoni O 2001 Short- and long term
effects of dehydroascorbate in Lupinus albus and Allium cepa roots. Plant Cell Physiol 42: 857-863
✔Arrigoni O, De Tullio MC 2000 The role of ascorbic acid in cell metabolism: between gene-directed functions and
unpredictable chemical reactions. J. Plant Physiol 157: 481-488
✔De Tullio MC, Paciolla C, Dalla Vecchia F, Rascio N, D'Emerico S, De Gara L, Liso R, Arrigoni O 1999 Changes in
onion root development induced by the inhibition of peptidyl-prolyl hydroxylase and influence of the ascorbate
system on cell division and elongation. Planta 209: 424-434
✔Brugnoli E, Scartazza A, De Tullio MC, Monteverdi MC, Lauteri M, Augusti A
1998 Zeaxanthin and non-photochemical quenching in sun and shade leaves of
C3 and C4 plants. Physiol Plant 104: 727-734
✔De Tullio MC, De Gara L, Paciolla C, Arrigoni O 1998 Dehydroascorbate
reducing proteins in maize are induced by the ascorbate biosynthesis inhibitor
lycorine. Plant Physiol Biochem 36: 433-440
✔Morell S, Follmann H, De Tullio M, Haeberlein 1997 Dehydroascorbate and
dehydroascorbate reductase are phantom indicators of oxidative stress in plants.
FEBS Lett 414: 567-570
Publications on science teaching – science comunication
· De Tullio MC 2007 How literature can help science: a practical approach to
bridging the Two Cultures Plant Biology ASPB Meeting Chicago (IL, USA)
· De Tullio MC, Roberto R 2004 Informing the public on the risks and benefits of
plant biotechnologies: the role of teacher training and the importance of new
teaching tools. Plant Biology, ASPB Meeting , Orlando (FL, USA)
· De Tullio MC (2002) Disseminating plant biology: how and what for? FESPB alert n.2 (9)
· De Tullio MC (1999) Comunità e comunicazione: dinamiche dell’aggregazione di organismi viventi. In AA.VV.
Intorno alla comunità: considerazioni interdisciplinari su “ciò che è comune”. Bari, Giuseppe Laterza Editore